CalWORKs: supportive services.

Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals. Existing law generally requires a recipient of CalWORKs benefits to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law requires that necessary supportive services be available to participants in welfare-to-work activities, including transportation costs, which are governed by regional market rates as determined in accordance with regulations established by the State Department of Social Services. This bill would instead require mileage costs for welfare-to-work participants to be determined based on the current standard mileage rate for transportation or travel expenses set by the United States Internal Revenue Service. The bill would require a participant in welfare-to-work activities to be issued a monthly advance transportation payment of $200. By increasing the duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.